Tennessee Valley Authority Created
On May 18, 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt created the Tennessee Valley Authority to provide hydroelectric power to rural areas of six states.
American History
Brown v. Board of Education
On May 17, 1954, the US Supreme Court ordered the desegregation of schools as a result of the case of Brown v. Board of Education.
White Mountain National Forest
On May 16, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson officially created the White Mountain National Forest, which resides mostly in New Hampshire (with about 5% of the forest in Maine). It’s the only national forest located in either state or the most eastern national forest in the country.
First US Airmail Flight
On May 15, 1918, America’s airmail service began when two Curtiss Jennys departed New York and Washington, DC. In the months that followed, pioneering aviators expanded airmail service over the treacherous Allegheny Mountains to Chicago and eventually the west coast.
Establishment of Glacier National Park
On May 11, 1910, an act of Congress officially created Glacier National Park in Montana. America’s 10th national park, its been called the “Crown of Continent.”
The First Mother’s Day
On May 10, 1908, the first official Mother’s Day celebration was held in Grafton, West Virginia.
Birth of Harry Truman
President Harry S. Truman was born in Lamar, Missouri on May 8, 1884. America’s 33rd president, he led America through the final months of WWII and the early years of the Cold War.
Battle of Chancellorsville
On May 6, 1863, the Battle of Chancellorsville ended in a Confederate victory. The Battle of Chancellorsville is known as Lee’s “perfect battle” and for the death of Stonewall Jackson.
American Scientists Series
On May 4, 2005, the USPS issued the first set of stamps in the American Scientists Series.